This blog was created by the Purdue Beef Team as an educational forum for beef producers and Extension educators. It includes timely news, issues, and management tips that have the potential to affect the beef business and decision-making process. Opinions expressed in the news clips do not necessarily represent those of Purdue University or the beef industry.

Recently an Oklahoma rancher called to tell of the success he had noticed in using a warm water bath to revive new born calves that had been severely cold stressed.A quick check of the scientific data on that subject bears out his observation.Canadian animal scientists compared methods of reviving hypothermic or cold stressed baby calves.Heat production and rectal temperature were measured in 19 newborn calves during hypothermia (cold stress) and recovery when four different means of assistance were provided.Hypothermia of 86o F rectal temperature was induced by immersion in cold water.Calves were rewarmed in a 68 to 77o F air environment where thermal assistance was provided by added thermal insulation or by supplemental heat from infrared lamps.Other calves were rewarmed by immersion in warm water (100oF), with or without a 40cc drench of 20% ethanol in water.

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The Cow/Calf Planner is a Cow/Calf Management Calendar that offers timely information and suggestions on managing your herd.

This planner is offered in two formats: an Interactive Cow/Calf Planner Excel Worksheet provides you topics under each category relevant to the time of year and gives you pertinent information for each topic by touching the cell for that topic where a window will appear. The Cow/Calf Planner Print Sheet allows you to print each calendar month with all the pertinent information for each topic. Both files contain the exact same information.

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FAIRMONT, Minn. – Scours is the leading cause of sickness in newborn calves. If producers are not careful, scours can take a toll on their calves and their bottom line.

Scours is a disease caused by a variety of infectious and noninfectious pathogens, making it difficult to treat or control. Calves usually become sick within the first 24 hours of birth.

While some calves can recover through treatment, scours treatments are costly and time consuming. Thus, prevention before birth is the key to protecting calves from this disease. The following tips from John Rodgers, DVM and senior veterinarian with Pfizer Animal Health, will help keep your calves healthy and help protect them from their leading cause of sickness.

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have developed a blood test to detect stress in cattle — with the promise it could give farmers a heads-up about whether their animals will get sick.

In a study on cattle, the researchers at the university’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization found that psychological stress and physical stress cause detectable changes in blood proteins and other blood compounds.

This is the second in a two-part series on strategies for cattle producers to deal with high corn prices. Part 1 focused on strategies for cow/calf producers to deal with high corn prices.

The fact that feedlot producers rely on corn as a main component of their diets more than any other segment of the beef industry is not news to anybody. By now you have heard and read enough information on current corn ethanol production and projections to figure out that those days of $2.50/bu corn are likely long gone.

Load limits on hay coming into the state have been lifted to help feed livestock over the winter as owners face the drought, the state Department of Public Safety announced Wednesday.

State Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said he requested that hay shipments into South Carolina from other states be exempt from normal size, height, weight and width restrictions in order to get hay moving into the state as quickly as possible.

The drought has “essentially wiped out most of the local production needed to feed livestock through the winter,” he said.